How to Set Up a Nursery

Setting up your nursery for your new baby is exciting--but it can be stressful, too. Where do you start? How do you make the space both comfortable and convenient--for you and your baby? Read on for helpful tips to set up the perfect nursery in your home.

Don't wait until the last minute

Preparing for your baby's arrival is exciting--but there is so much to get done! The more time you give yourself to plan your nursery, purchase everything, and set it up, the better. This way, you won't feel rushed, stressed out, or overwhelmed while dealing with all of the many tasks impending parenthood requires.

Choose a theme

While choosing one specific concept for your nursery decor isn't a requirement, it will certainly make designing it a little easier. Focus your plan on certain colours, characters, or other themes to create a more cohesive look and narrow down your shopping and decision-making.

Get creative with storage

It's amazing how many things such a little person can accumulate. Ample storage is a must in a nursery for clothes, toys, blankets, and many other miscellaneous baby belongings. Baby clothes are tiny, so you can fit quite a bit in the closet--install a second rail halfway down the closet to store a second row of baby clothes efficiently. Trunks and chests are great for out of sight storage, and wall hooks work well for hanging bibs and burp cloths.

Create stations

Your nursery serves many purposes--it's where your baby, eats, sleeps, has diaper changes, and bonds with you. Make your life easier by creating different stations in your nursery that serve your baby's needs--such as a changing station, a nursing station, or a play area. Stock all your sanitation supplies near the changing table and get a comfy rocker for nursing with an end table to store nursing items (nursing pads, paper towels, or burp cloths). The goal is to create the most practical and comfortable nursery possible.

Make lighting cozy

The lighting in your nursery shouldn't be too harsh or bright. Install heavy blinds or hang black-out curtains so your baby is more comfortable during the day and is able to sleep longer. Keeping lighting dim is also said to prevent the occurrence of SIDS.

Keep it safe

Make sure to cover unused electrical outlets. Keep those in use blocked so your baby cannot pull out the plugs and stick her tiny fingers inside. You should also be wary of potential choking hazards, and be sure that any medicines, sanitizers, or lotions are securely stowed out of baby's reach. Get down on the floor on your hands and knees to find things that you may not notice while you are on your feet. Look for dangerous nail heads protruding from wooden floorboards, stray wires, or small objects that can easily fit inside her mouth.